The best burger in Phnom Penh was no an article I had expected to have to ret-con, but that’s the thing about being the best, there is always someone to knock you off of your perch.
Cake and Craft might not sound like your average burger restaurant, but that is because they are very far from average. Today they did not just knock off the perch, they frankly destroyed the perch.
Best Burger in Phnom Penh – The chasing pack
I’d previously and proudly decreed Cousins Burger and Coffee to the best Burger joint in Phnom Penh. This was back in June of 2020 when Phnom Penh was merely somewhere I visited every now and again. I moved full time here in October 2020 and since then have tried many a new burger, yet still the best burger in Phnom Penh to me remained Cousins.
There are though a number of very notable mentions, and ones which others claim to be the best. Of these the most famous is probably The Vine, because they serve a knock-off Big Mac. It’s not bad, but it is not a Big Mac, nor is that amazing a burger for 9 bucks.
You can read about the Vine here.
You then have places like Burger Shack and West Burger. Burger Shack is alright, but again trying a bit too hard to be McDonalds, while West Burger I have never tried, even though it is literally next to my house. In almost a year I have never seen a single customer in West Burger. That says it all.
I will though go out on a limb here and give a very honourable mention to the Macaroni Cheeseburger at Gastropub 130 – not in the #BurgerWars as such, but a fiery dish of epic proportions.
Cousins Burger though is still a fine joint, with the French influenced burgers now being my second favorite burger in Phnom Penh.
Best Burger in Phnom Penh – The franchises
OK, so lets get the first elephant in the room out of the way – there is no McDonalds in Cambodia! Why? You can read why here (link to KN). You could though as of last month have McDonalds delivered frozen from Thailand – the fad lasted about a week….
To read about getting McDonalds delivered click here.
You then have Burger King, which is Burger King and you have Habit Burger, which is just another bog standard franchise, Fate though was to lead me to the best burger in Phnom Penh!
Cake and Craft is the best burger in Phnom Penh and Asia?
Why is cake and craft the best burger in Phnom Penh? I feel you merely need to look at the pictures to see that they are the best burgers in Cambodia, or as the owner himself posted out perhaps the best in Asia!
Would that be going too far? There are many times when I eat something and think of this is good for Cambodia, at Cake and Craft, you do not think that – this would be good anywhere, but Cambodia is cheap, so you get not only the quality, but the value too.
Is it the best Burger in Asia? I’ve not tried every burger in Asia, yet, but it was probably the best burger I have had in Asia since Blue Frog Beijing about 7 years ago.
To read about the best burger in Kampot click here.
To read about the best Burger in Siem Reap click here.
What is the Burger Menu at Cake and Craft?
It is actually a pretty simple menu, with only 4-5 burgers on it, but they are all absolute feasts, with double bacons, a standard Cheese Burger and a Farmhouse that we all got to try.
This was a mission to find the best burger in Phnom Penh, so we took the platter which came with amazing chicken strips and fries that contained some much garlic that Dracula wold not have stood a chance.
They say that once you pick up a burger you should not put it down until it is finished. Easy with a Burger King, harder with cousins burger, but pretty much impossible with one of these big bad boy burgers.
The best burger in Phnom Penh needs the best deserts
Cake and Craft is also part of cake shop, run by the wife of the owner. These two work hand in glove, which meant as an “appetizer” we were served a Snickers Cupcake! The best Snickers Cupcake in Phnom Penh? Yes I am sure it is, and probably the only one BUT, they also had cheesecake cookies, Banofie pie and a whole heap of other deserts that were just off of the grid good.
Even after the meat sweats had almost destroyed me I still managed to finish a cinnamon roll, yes I felt disgusting after and a bit dirty, but the good kind of dirty and disgusting, you know what I mean 🙂
Cake and Craft – The best Burger in Phnom Penh that no one has heard of!
And that is the crazy thing, even the owner acknowledges that they are a bit of a hidden secret. When people discuss Phnom Penh’s best burger this place is not on most radars, but it has a loyal following, delivers on the big apps and its loyal clientele are treated to its eclectic and ever changing “Secret menu”.
And the drinks? Well the craft part of their name also refers to the Craft Beer element, but alas we are in the midst of alcohol ban in Phnom Penh. Instead we were jept extremely well watered, which helped when we legitimately got the meat sweats. In normal times though they have not only beer, but all the regular creature comforts that you expect from a bar in TTP.
Maybe, just maybe people will read this and discover the actual best burgers in Phnom Penh, or maybe they will keep to their tried and tested places like Burger Shack and West Burger. Of course if this place blows up then it is great for the owners, but for the rest of us if it stays a hidden gem then we have zero issue with that.
